Tiaras to Tonka Trucks

Nick's Newest Milestone

2012-01-28T16:08:00.003-05:00

"I do it again mommy!"

Can we count 'finally goes down the curly slide all by himself' as a milestone?

Truth

2011-12-25T21:06:00.002-05:00

Today we went to a family get together. I took 5 gifts, I received no gifts. I felt great!

Where is Everyone Else?

2011-12-18T09:08:00.003-05:00

Today we unwrapped our "First Christmas" book that GB and Pappi sent us last year.. Claire and Nick spent the first three pages saying things like "We know Pappi" and "I love you too!". At the end Claire told me she loves her Pappi 100. (That's high praise, she loves me 20 and Jim anywhere between 8 and 15.)

We have been reading all about that First Christmas, Claire is really enjoying it and asking some really good questions that make me think....

Today while we read about the wise men she counted them in the book... One, Two, Three. 'How come there's only 3?' Because there were 3 kings who came to see Jesus, remember they followed the star from very far away. 'But where was everyone else?'

Knowing what we know now, it is amazing to her that not everyone followed that star to meet Baby Jesus.

This weekend we'll be going to see all the bright lights of Christmas but my little girl reminds me to always remember the first bright light of Christmas.

Merry Christmas!

Battle

2011-12-17T09:01:00.002-05:00

This is what happen when I clean my kitchen. I find the makings of swords... and who can resist that?

Triumph!

Our Big Day

2011-12-09T08:43:00.006-05:00

Today we are playing hookey from school (but we don't have a table) and taking the day off of work. We plan to see the Big Jolly man and the Big tree and eat a Big lunch. So we started the day off with Big breakfast!

Then we went to Macy's Like the one of 34th street to see Santa. Who is very popular (like 2 hr wait popular)! Here we are waiting... and waiting... and leaving the line to go potty and waiting and waiting...

They had some neat things to look at while we waited... lots of trains (which were a bigger hit with Nick than Santa was). and even a huge polar express that the line weaved through :)

Finally we got to see the Big guy! He was super impressive, and totally worth the wait. Nick decided he'd view from a distance but Claire jumped right up there and gave him her letter and told him what she wanted for Christmas. (Thomas trains and a basket for her bike)

After Macy's we took a train!!! (wish I had pictures of film of the kids) to Rockefeller Center to see the Big Tree and the ice skating rink. Claire thought they had us on size but our decorations on our tree at home were much better.

Then we walked over to lunch and then another train back to the car.
All in all a great day and one to remember.
Special thanks goes to Grandpa Bill whose idea it was to see the Big Guy and the Big Tree and who played hooky from work to go with us :)

ps. Please don't tell Santa that we played hooky to go see him, I think that might earn us a spot on the naughty list. ;)

O Christmas Tree...

2011-12-07T09:32:00.004-05:00

This year the kids decorated most of the tree, I did the garland and lights (things that needed to wrap around the tree) and they did about 95% of the ornament placement. I think they did a great job. :)

Allergies

2011-12-05T19:01:00.002-05:00

N has a reaction to this basil plant. :)

He wins the cutest kid in my house award today.

A Cornicopia of Thanks

2011-12-02T08:04:00.004-05:00

This week I am cleaning 'like a crazy lady' (that's how C described it) in preperation for Christmas' arrival this weekend. So I started with my camera card- and that reminded me that I never fully finished up Thanksgiving. I was at my Gram's for the holiday and I'll blame her lack of Internet for eating my other.... however many more things I needed to complete my list of 100 things I'm thankful for. I was simply thankful for every moment we had to spend with family this holiday season. It had been too long and I almost forgot just how fun they can be.
I am thankful for my Gram and Pap and that they are able to play around with my kids. (C and N are so lucky)
Pretty much I'm thankful for the whole crazy bunch of family we saw this year.

And even the ones we didn't see

We banked a lot of hugs to get us through to the next time we see them and stayed just long enough to remind us how truly crazy they are. In the end it was good to go and it was good to come home (to our sick daddy on the couch).

Now who's ready for Christmas!

I'm Grateful For

2011-11-17T20:26:00.004-05:00

21 yeast
22 I'm thankful that my mom cooked with me when I was little and that I can cook with my kids while they are little.
23 wet wipes with scrubbies
24 Dinosaurs (to give me 25 min ALL to myself)
25 my maid (oh wait, I'd be thankful if I had a maid) I am thankful to be healthy enough to take care of things around my house (but anyone is welcome to stop by and fold this laundry)
26 Candy (and it's bizarre effects on Claire last night) I needed that giggle
27 Thermometers that don't take a long time (poor Nick)
28 Water with Ice

Nodan mamomamo

2011-11-16T21:32:00.004-05:00

Nodan mamomamo- Thank you (in Hindi)
This afternoon I was blessed to walk to school with one of the mother's from Claire's class. She has triplets Claire's age and twins in first grade. That alone blows my mind. She is Indian, and admitted to me that she 'doesn't cook American food'. I wonder if she'd teach me to cook some Indian food? She's such a calming and quiet personality. I like her. I am adding her to the list of people I want to get to know better this year. (Nov. to Nov.)
In other news, Nick is sick. Claire got glowing reviews at parent teacher conference and my husband returns home. :)
And now some new things I am thankful for.

14 Ibuprofen
15 blankets
16 sippy cups
17 husbands - in particular mine but I'm also thankful for the wonderful husbands that my sisters found. (whoa, who typed that!)
18 Socks
19 crayons and coloring books so good for stress relief
20 pillows!

Merci

2011-11-10T14:54:00.004-05:00

10 footsie pajamas -
and the fact that I have called them footie pajamas forever and when I typed that into my phone it auto corrected it to footsie pajamas. I just love that my phone knows what footsie pajamas are :) (and yes it corrected it as a phrase and not just the single word)

11 Warm showers on cloudy days.
There is just something about steam that makes everything just melt away... worries, frustrations, anger and of course dirt.

12 Sister in laws
and not being alone on my anniversary while my hubby works hard so he can take me out somewhere REALLY nice :)

13 (bonus!) Hugs
It never ceases to amaze me how a hug can change my mood in a second. And it seems like the smaller the arms the happier it makes me. :)

Ďakujem

2011-11-06T09:42:00.005-05:00

7 Great kids who let me enjoy a lovely breakfast all by myself and who slept like they knew about daylight savings. :)

8 Sunshine! and beautiful fall leaves to enjoy.
It's a bit cold but not too cold to be out and about. (Glad I'm not running the marathon although I wish I was seeing the start today)

9 I'm thankful for my husband.
He's been away for what feels like the entire weekend and even though I'm still up (coffee at 4pm) and he's asleep it's nice just to have him close.

Gracias

2011-11-04T07:36:00.007-05:00

4 Forgiveness and hugs; I know that's two but they are best when they come together.

5 Getting stuff free for being cute.

6 phones so I could chat with friends and family who are far away. (I miss you guys)

Thankful

2011-11-03T08:24:00.007-05:00

This year I have had a lot to be thankful for.
I have a house that has heat and electricity and running water, I have a husband who comes home to his family at night, I have two healthy and intelligent children who have good manners (for the most part). I have a wonderful relationship with my parents and siblings who I wouldn't trade for anything.
This year I will participate in the '100 Things I'm Thankful for Event'. Started by my mother and perpetuated by my sisters.
I think I'll have 3 things each day.. one in the morning, one in the afternoon and one in the evening before bed, just to keep my thankful the whole day not just one rushed weekend evening when I realize I have not been thankful for an entire week. (But who knows.. I work well last minuet and when guilt or pressure are applied... )
Here goes:

1 Missing the UPS guy yesterday so I know there is a package coming today (it's like Christmas)

2 Having people to giggle with over the stupid things.

3 The ability to wink and the fact that it's the little things that impress my kids... I know it won't be like that forever.

Halloween

2011-10-31T09:09:00.008-05:00

I really got into Halloween this year. I made themed food for Claire's lunch and adorable favors for her class party. I decorated with light up spiders in the window and a TON of jack-o-lanterns out front. I bought my Halloween candy a month ahead of time (and didn't eat ANY before today). I am counting Halloween a success. We still have to go trick or treating with friends tonight but how could that go wrong?

Oh that's right SNOW!? It's supposed to be all gone but it really made me think about winterizing our costumes... I'm not sure if it would have been possible.

So we'll put on our costumes and hit the streets tonight; have your candy ready!

Happy Halloween!

Pre-Halloween

2011-10-23T16:38:00.006-05:00

This weekend we were celebrating pre-Halloween and all that is fall. We went to the farm with Grandma Mary, Jen and Joe. And paid ~~out the nose~~ to pet some animals (sheep, guinea pigs, llamas, chickens, bunnies and turtles). We also rode a hay ride and jumped on some hay bales. And the highlight as always was the chickens who ate half a chocolate chip cookie and a few blades of grass and were very chatty with the kids. Fun was had by all. :)

We carved pumpkins- ok I carved and the kids put together faces for the pumpkins... They are still doing it (6 hours later). I just printed out some simple jack-o-lantern patterns and then cut out the different elements and the kids could rearrange to their hearts content. They used eyebrows as facial hair, eyes as noses and one even sported a smiley hat. Then we chose the favorite faces and carved them into the cleaned out pumpkins. Claire even got into the action and stuck her hand IN a pumpkin this year!!

All in all not a bad weekend-before-the-holiday...

My List

2011-09-28T12:53:00.002-05:00

I've been thinking a lot lately - since my afternoons are fairly quiet. (ha ha - Nick is screaming that Claire took his train and she's at school) Thinking about what I want out of my life... I've taken some time off, not just off of work (can I say that if I never actually worked?) but off of life. I have not gone out in a Looong time (and never without some guilt for not being home with the kids or my husband), I have not really made many friends to go out with actually, I don't do things that I enjoy very often either because I'm too tired, to frazzled or out of time. SO.
I'm making a list- even if it just helps me find myself and what I want now that my life is so different than the last time I evaluated it (many moons ago). So here are a few ideas of things I would like to do in the near future...
Get my Masters Degree
Take a language class at Community College
Visit Italy
Go to the Dinosaur Park with the Kids
Find more time for my marriage
There are a few others that I'm not ready to put on in ink quite yet but I really think that's a start and I'd like to thank budgetsare$exy for the kick in the pants to make this list... check out some other lists for inspiration over here. (plus they are giving away some $$ to make it all possible)

First Day of School

2011-09-09T09:55:00.001-05:00

There are no words.

2011-09-03T07:16:00.001-05:00

Claire just asked for her milk in a shot glass.

Heartache

2011-09-01T15:28:00.003-05:00

Conversation I had earlier with Claire :

(Claire is hanging off the bed pulling on the comforter)
M: You are going to break my bed and then I'm going to have to break your butt
C: If you break my butt I'll have to break your brain
(Claire thinks about it a second then her expression softens)
C: But not your heart, I'll never break your heart mommy.

Oh that that could be true my love.

My Independant Kid

2011-09-01T08:02:00.004-05:00

Claire starts preK next Thursday.

It is crazy to think that just 4 years ago I was terrified about having a baby and couldn't wait for her to grow up and get more independent. Now that she has done just that I'm terrified again but this time I'm nervous for her- how will she adapt to being away from Nick and I for 3 hrs a day?- Will she find a little friend to play with?- Will she listen well to other adults? I know that answer to those questions: She will adapt just fine and is in fact completely ready to have some independence- she is a friendly kid and any kid who doesn't want to be her friend is obviously defective - She is a respectful kid who listens and takes direction well. I love her and feel completely secure and hugely grateful for the time I've spent so far shaping her into a beautiful woman who is respectful, responsible, loving and kind.
So she's ready but I don't think I am.
I see now that a lot of that crazy school shopping is in fact retail therapy for the mothers who are getting ready to experience separation anxiety themselves.
To the backpack store!

Date Night

2011-08-20T06:18:00.002-05:00

Went on a date with my husband- a dressed up without the kids date.
(I think it's our first ever)
It was a great night.

I still love him (and it's been almost 5 years!)

Princess Cookies with Claire

2011-08-17T08:33:00.005-05:00

If you are a fairy princess

or just like the way they dress
then wave your magic wand
and create cookies from beyond!

Now take a bowl and whip the butter
Now's not the time to use the cutter
Next blend the mix and water, too
and make yourself a gooey-goo

Say the magic words, but please don't blink
Watch as your dough turns incredibly pink!
now cover your dough and let it chill
in the fridge, not on the windowsill!

Roll the cooled dough out with your rolling pin
Nice and flat, just not too, too thin
Use the cutter to make perfect stars
Place them not too near and not too far

Now you need a grown-up princess or prince
It's not such hard work, they really won't wince
They should open the over n and put in the sheet
Then wait twelve minutes for this magical treat

Once the cookies cool, add your magical touch
With some icing and fairy dust... just not too much!
Then call in all the fairies for a special treat
And feed them pink cookies to eat - so sweet.

Splashing in the Rain

2011-08-14T17:00:00.006-05:00

Today it rained.

We spent the morning sorting clothes for the fall and water painting.

After lunch it was apparent that it was not going to stop raining so we geared up to go out.
Boots, Coats, Umbrella- Check!

Here is Nick standing in the world's smallest puddle- somehow he crammed both his feet into it :)

Nick sees the huge puddle- Nick RUNS to the huge puddle-
Nick splashes in the HUGE puddle!

We also experimented with different water slide technique.

If Claire held up her right leg she could go so fast she flew off the bottom and 'splashed down'. Nick just had to lay back and he flew off the end.

All in all not a bad day for having it rain all day.
They are forecasting rain again tomorrow... Maybe we'll break out the sewing machine...

One Proud Mama

2011-07-27T15:54:00.003-05:00

This is the one where Nick wears undies to bed and stays dry
then wears them out all day the next day and stays dry! :)
His mama couldn't be more proud!

My Neighborhood

2011-07-24T19:30:00.003-05:00

Drove around my neighborhood a bit tonight with the windows down and discovered several new gems that I didn't know about before. The top attraction:

Check That- This Was the Best.

2011-07-16T19:10:00.007-05:00

Today we got up early...

got in the car- threw up once- crossed 4 lanes of traffic for bagels and boarded a boat.

When we got off the boat we walked through the 'sunken forest' on Fire Island (a different end of Fire Island than last week).
It was less populated and we had an entire stretch of beach almost entirely to ourselves.
We dug right in.

Yes Nick's rash guard says 'whipper snapper' :)

And now get ready to see a completely untainted expression of joy and carefree-ness.

All in all we did some other things on the island but none of them compared to the absolute joy of letting the kids run free and wild on a deserted beach not more than an hour away from our home.
plus I didn't take any pictures of them.
you're welcome.

And we can't wait another 12 days till mommy will be completely full of joy!

Perfect Beach Day

2011-07-11T10:21:00.003-05:00

Yesterday (and today in all truth) Claire woke up wanting to climb a lighthouse. Why? We have no clue. But because she has such a great and spontaneous dad we packed up and hit the road with promises to meet Grandma and Grandpa Bill on Fire Island.

We hiked up to the lighthouse, after it had closed since you have to be about 40 inches tall to climb any lighthouse. (another year Claire, sorry) It was beautiful! The sun was setting, the birds were singing, it wasn't too crowded. The perfect end to our day.

Claire was concerned that the lighthouse would fall on her because of the cracks in it. Nick thought it was great fun and we discovered some great new facts about lighthouses.
Did you know they are all painted differently to aid the sailors in knowing where they are? Interesting- no?

We decided to walk the beach back to the car on and hopefully get to catch the tail end of the sunset over the dunes.

I will spare you the details and pictures (that I did not take) of what we actually saw on our trip back to the car on the beach. Suffice it to say it was a different type of moon than is pictured above.

Nick Turns 2

2011-07-05T15:47:00.002-05:00

My baby boy turned 2 this past weekend, it is amazing to me that I just don't have any babies anymore.
He's grown so big, so fast.
Thank you to everyone who celebrated him with us both near and far.
Happy Birthday Nicky!

Pulling Hair and Other Gram Reflections

2011-06-15T08:09:00.007-05:00

Today I was looking at pictures with Claire. We came across some of my Grandma. I told Claire with all fondness that that was her great grandma. And she turned to me and said

"Is she the one that likes to pull hair?"

I guess we need to plan a trip to Gram's sometime soon. Claire says that because I always tell her in the midst of tearful hair brushing that 'your great grandma always says : If you wanna be pretty you gotta suffer'. It's sad to me that really that's what she'll probably take with her about her great grandma, it's sad because she really has a Great great grandma. Who loves her

and her brother.

Who loves family and a good time.

Even though sometimes she's not in the greatest mood, I still love her. And really miss being close by, or close enough to pop over for a bit. (to check if she's in a good mood or not) Or share some toast and tea in the morning at that great table that seats barely 5, or 12 depending on the day.

I don't know how to end this because it's getting kinda sappy, and I can hear her yelling 'For God's sake, I'm not dead yet'. So I'll just say that I love her and I miss her. I hope you have a great grandma who imparts great knowledge, or at least hugs and stability in your life.

*Grandma- if you ever go on the internet and somehow stumble across this I apologize for the pictures of you in your pajamas, and anything I may say that puts you in a bad mood. :)

Something to Smile About

2011-06-12T12:44:00.003-05:00

Today Nick said the word 'kite', Claire colored 'in the lines' for the first time and colored an entire space instead of just scribbling.
I took some meds for this awful illness that just won't stop and Jim took a nap.
We are kind of low energy today but enjoying a low key day at home.
What do you have to smile about today?

Things my Brain Wastes Space and Time Thinking

2011-06-08T19:47:00.002-05:00

The joy of a gift lies in it's novelty.

Even Better

2011-06-06T09:51:00.001-05:00

Gelato in a Popsicle!

Do you think I can convince my Italian husband to take me?
Or is this just ruining Italian ice cream?

Pretty Much It

2011-06-06T07:32:00.002-05:00

Nick is cutting teeth, and has a head cold to end all head colds that doesn't allow him to breath at night so he's opted to just stay up... all night. :( I haven't been able to cross anything off my list for almost a week now for some unexplainable reason. Not even the kind where you do the thing and then add it and cross it off all in one step. :( I miss my mommy- intensely lately and August can't come fast enough cause I could also use a big hug from my daddy.
But even after laying all that whining out there, I'm not really feeling defeated or down, just tired- mentally, physically and emotionally.
If I can catch some winks today I think I'll lock myself in the bathroom and force myself to stay there till it's sparkling. And then reward myself with a fresh-out-of-the-oven (all-by-itself) chocolate chip cookie. :)

Where Have We Been?

2011-05-10T13:46:00.003-05:00

At the beach, collecting seashells.

And building sand castles.

Coloring Easter eggs by the pool.

Meeting the Easter Bunny.

Helping Grandma furnish her new house.

Playing at the pool.

Enjoying a piece of paradise with Daddy.

Reprogramming

2011-05-10T13:34:00.005-05:00

So I arrived home from my two week vacation (which I extended by two weeks) to a house full of mess. I couldn't even believe that I had left it like that just a month ago. And even more surprising, I didn't remember leaving it a mess. I was staying in my in-laws newly acquired, barely furnished house in Florida. It was refreshing. and I guess I sort of lost myself there, the way you imagine you will when you are on vacation but never actually do. I am in the process of 'getting back to reality' and deprogramming.

Getting used to my tiny bathroom that only has one sink and no special door to shut myself away when I'm on the toilet, or just need a moment.
It was cereal for lunch when we arrived home from the airport- I couldn't remember where the bowls were.
Sifting through 237 emails... mostly junk.
Dealing with a mountain of mail... also mostly junk (can I categorize bills as junk too?)

It feels like a wave has hit me and I'm still trying to figure out which way is up. But I'll get there. I am energized, motivated and ready to tackle this adventure that I call 'everyday life'.

Right after I'm done mourning the lack of pool or beach and the 72 degree weather.

Weed Whacker

2011-04-16T14:39:00.004-05:00

Recently Claire learned a joke.

What is a skunks favorite sandwich?
Peanut Butter and Smelly!

She does pretty well at telling her joke except she leaves off the first line. So when you ask her to tell you a joke she just screams in her 'punch line voice' "Peanut Butter and Smelly!"

This afternoon because we are cooped up inside because of the rain -we decided to learn a couple new jokes.

I discovered she's actually pretty funny. Our conversations went something like this.

M: Why did the chicken cross the road?
C: because he likes roads
M: Why did the crocodile cross the road?
C: because he wanted to eat the chicken

Then we moved on to knock knock jokes:

M: I say Knock knock
M (whispers): then you say 'who's there'
C: Aunt Ami
M: No you just say the words 'who's there'
C: Aunt Mark
M: No... ok I say Knock Knock then you say who's there then I say Rhoda
C: Rhoda Aunt Mark
M: you are silly.
C: Knock Knock
M: Who's there?
C: Weed whacker!
Conversation dissolves into laughter....

She really is the funniest kid I know.

Tweet, Tweet....

2011-04-12T08:38:00.004-05:00

Today was the day to have twitter......

I think there is a bird in my walls.

There is definitely a bird in my dryer vent and he's not happy to be in there.

Would it be horrible to turn the dryer on? Would it just kill the bird and stink everything to high heaven?

Maintenance 'might' make it out 'sometime today'?! Did I mention there is a BIRD IN my dryer vent!?!

Dear bird- I can hear you and you are going the WRONG WAY! Fly toward the light....

Claire is yelling at the bird to 'stop making that creepy noise' - that really forlorn sounding song that calls to your friends to 'get you the heck out of here!!' I wish you had better friends.

OMG now there is definitely more than one bird. Dear bird friends she wanted you to help her out, not join her for a crazy dryer vent party.

The squirrels are now wise to the distress of my birds. They are hanging out under the vent making noise and freaking the birds out. Ugh.

The guys came- and they said "those are some BIG birds" apparently they can fly in and out no problem though. I plan to run my dryer all day and night from now on till they decide it's not a good idea to nest in my dryer vent!

Yet another thing done half-assed by the people who remodeled my kitchen. I need to replace my dryer vent with one those stinking birds can't get into.

Thankfully no nest, cause if they build a nest and lay eggs it's against the law to have them removed and we just have to live with them till they hatch and fly the coupe. (it's a $10,000 fine to disturb them)

No birds. YAY! Now who will replace this dryer vent. Ugh!

Wake Up Call

2011-04-05T06:53:00.003-05:00

There are a few things I'd like to blog about
1. making new mommy friends
2. unexpected and very welcome visits from sisters
3. laundry and my hatred for stinky things
4. potty training
5. male giraffes

Most of those come with lovely pictures but since my camera cord is MIA I can't share any of them with you thus taking the wind out of my posting sails.
So instead I'll share a quick story about my mom from this morning.

Last night my darling son woke me at 1am- as he has for the past two nights. He fussed, Claire woke and Nick and I moved to the couch where he finally settled down and fell back asleep around 4am.
At 6am the construction started outside, and the window in the living room was open so it sounded like they were in the room with me. And I was too tired to get up and close it but Nick decided that it was time to get up. So he settled in for a rousing puzzle session on my phone.
At 7:30am Nick realized that it was only 4am in WY and figured that would be a great time to call GB and chat54. Thankfully she was on call at the hospital so it wasn't the end of the world.
So Nick woke both his mom and his grandma at 4am this morning.

I know that was not really the most exciting blog post but I needed to update so there you have it a moment from my not so exciting life. :)

E is for..

2011-03-20T11:18:00.002-05:00

Elephant!

and no Elephant is complete without a handbag to carry her peanuts.
(This elephant's name is Uncle Alex) :)

I'm really having a ton of fun with these letter animals, and Claire has been playing with them for way longer than I would have thought construction paper animals would last in this house. If I'd known I may have made them from fun foam.

D is for

2011-03-14T18:00:00.003-05:00

Daddy and Dinosaur: Jim took some time on his day off to do the Letter of the Day with Claire. It just happened to be D like daddy. They made dinosaurs out of the letter and then played with them for quite some time while I made dinner. It was really sweet to get to listen in on their play from the kitchen. My kids are super lucky to have such a great Daddy.

Dinner: Dinner tonight was stirfry? - any vegetable that was in my crisper with some soy sauce and ginger over rice.

2011-03-13T08:56:00.001-05:00

More Productive Procrastination

2011-03-01T14:27:00.004-05:00

To everyone outside my world this may seem productive. But really my sink is full of breakfast and lunch dishes and if I'm totally honest there may be some dinner dishes from yesterday there too. My laundry while somewhat under control is in need of some folding. And my floors, well the hardwood that I swear I remember we have somewhere under all the mess need mopping. But -

The frames are on the wall!

There is an extra frame, *thanks for the suggestion/advice Aunt Minnie.
They are NOT above the dining table since Jim saw the previous post and went 'you are gonna put them there? Really?'
They are not level.. I know this, but I did not have time (ha ha ha) to level them. Another day perhaps.
There are some empty frames because we want to leave room for some inspiration.
(the bird-looking thing on the left is a pigeon in case you were wondering)

Let Me Paint You a Picture

2011-02-23T15:13:00.003-05:00

Today I looked around my bedroom and decided I had to finish some of my half-done or partly dreamed up projects before I get to start any new ones... So the top of the project box had these frames on it. I got the frames around Christmas from my most amazing aunt. Claire and I were really excited and quickly realized that perhaps we needed to put them in a different place since we had so many and they were so great. So I thought-and thought about it, and they gathered dust in my bedroom project ~~pile~~ box.
And after I decided that they did need to go above the table I then had to figure out how to place them eclectically but still neat and orderly; hip and trendy yet still traditional to go with the rest of our decor. So I thought-and thought about that too.
NOW is the time. I have purchased the hangers for every frame and when the weekend rolls around I will hang them! on the wall!

So here I need some help.

I arranged them in a million different ways, if I were better at math I could tell you the count for the countless possibilities of arrangements.
Instead I will show you some of the ones we like. And by we I mean the 1 yr old, 3 yr old and the designer duck that I consulted with for this project.

Which do you like best? The more responses I get the more likely it is that Monday will arrive with these hung on the wall, and pictures of this completed project on here. So suggest away-

What do you like? What don't you like?

Which do you like best?
I thank you, Claire thanks you, Nick thanks you and the duck thanks you.

Where Was I? OH Yes, Canada!

2011-02-21T19:47:00.013-05:00

So we drove for a little bit before we crossed the St. Lawrence into Montreal. (yes that's the lovely picture above that I took of the lovely city on our approach) We arrived at our hotel and got settled after some overflow issues. (overbooking so we got one bed instead of two, and parking further away since the regular lot was full) The kids went right to bed and didn't wake up until 8am. (This was a GREAT vacation) We took some time getting ready and spent a lot of timelooking out our 25th floor window, who knew bendy buses and commuter trains could be so fun?!
After an overpriced buffet breakfast we set out. First stop the Biodome! (a very large greenhouse or similar structure with a controlled internal environment in which plants and animals from regions are kept in conditions similar to nature or much warmer or colder) The biodome in Montreal was a big hit. The animals were right there for the kids to look for and find and there was plenty of room to run around (surprisingly it was not very crowded).

The puffins were the cutest, they would come right up to the glass and follow the kids, Claire was making faces at one of them and every time she would make a face it would puff up it's feathers. :)
Also they had capibaras and I got to sound all informed (thanks Sara!). I was really surprised to see just how big they were. The kids had a blast seeing everything and 'using' the binoculars.

But our adventures weren't over yet. Montreal also boasts the tallest leaning structure in the world. Conveniently it is located right next door to the biodome. So UP we went, WAY up!

In that second picture is the botanical gardens, the second largest if I remember right. But we didn't do that this time, cold weather and all. Largest bonsai collection according to my friend Steph's research.

After this much activity we just wanted to sit down and eat, maybe a nap?

Baguettes for all!

After lunch we wandered around in what we think was the underground city. But everything seemed to be closed (it was a Sunday?).
Time to think about home. Claire really wanted to go back to the hotel and swim, too bad we had already checked out. :(
On our way out of the city we caught a bit of Old Montreal. Just enough to make us want to come back again when it is warm so we could wander the streets and explore the little shops and things.

Home again, Home again. So soon. Even though I was apprehensive in the beginning it turned out to be the perfect little weekend excursion.

French Road Trip

2011-02-21T07:43:00.004-05:00

So I looked up brioche, I found a recipe- but also a review that said it was a gooey, messy and fattening bread. While delicious I decided to go a different direction to explore my French-ness. How about Canada! They speak French there.
OK so it happened like this. Jimmy woke up and said 'what should we do today' then he sat down at the computer and about 5 min. later he says 'let's go to Montreal'. Any other person might have discounted this as just a dream out loud. But with Jimmy I knew he was serious. I protested, worried about the long travel time, the not knowing what we would even do up there with two kids and so forth. He persisted and I started packing, because when he gets this way if you don't pack you'll end up in a foreign country with no underwear or toothbrush or worse, no diapers. After a quick google search for things to do in Montreal- and a check of some logistical things you need to do in order to leave the country.
We hit the road! For Canada!
On the way up the kids were wonderful, sleeping, playing together, just spectacular.
And when dinner time rolled around we were looking for a place to stop and I saw signs for Glen Falls, I thought to myself that my friend Steph lives there... oh wait that's Hudson Falls... oh well. The next sign said Hudson Falls! YAY. So we called them up and met them for dinner. It was so good to get to visit with friends and see their little girl, who is adorable. At that point I could have just turned around and gone home, my weekend was significantly full of good surprises. But onward we went.
When we crossed the border the crossing agent was surprised we were coming to Canada... in the middle of winter... when it is -4 with the windchill. But that's how we are.
I missed most of the entry into Canada because it was about 1am and I was fighting sleep; Jim was driving cause he loves me like that :)
This is getting really long. I'll continue our adventures later... I promise the next one will have pictures.

Totellini Soup

2011-02-17T19:28:00.003-05:00

For Christmas my loving husband got me a genetics test. (yeah it's kinda like the car seat covers) But I spit in a test tube and sent it away anyway (thanks Ami) and now many weeks later I get the results. It tells me what drugs may work best or not at all for me. It tells me that Nick had only a 22% chance of having blue eyes (and confirms once and for all that he's my son, so Jim will finally let it rest) (I guess it was a gift for me after all) :)
It also tells me where 'My People' come from. This is very important to my husband and his family... and most of NYC. I never gave it much thought before I got married and then I moved here and everyone, and I do mean everyone, wants to know 'what you are'. A question that would offend many elsewhere in the country, but here it's like asking what someone does for a living.
And everyone has an answer.. except me. I admit the first time I was asked I might have pretended not to hear the question cause I didn't know how exactly to answer. Then I went with a simplified 'German/Polish mix' answer... but then they wanted to chat about what that meant.. like what special holidays, customs, traditions we had... and they didn't appreciate the 'dancing in a pig trough' answer and since I have never been to either Germany or Poland I had little to add and felt almost embarrassed.
So now I can just tell them that I am English, German, French, a little Swedish and wait for it....

Italian.

Now I am not convinced of the accuracy of these tests since it also discounts any Native American connections. (If you have info about this I'd love to hear it) (like that I've been lied to for years about my ancestry)
But it's interesting none the less and I have chosen to explore what it means to me though food. So tonight we explored my Italian roots (which this test seems to think comes from my grandmother) (Does Gram Lane strike you as Italian?) (Weinzierl--sounds Italian to me).
I made Tortellini Soup! It was really good. I will make it again.
I think I'll try French next-- Brioche anyone?

#3 Check!

2011-01-30T19:01:00.005-05:00

3. ~~Visit the Long Island Children's Museum~~

Say AHHH

Mommy- what IS this stuff?

They are talking to each other, right after this Claire and a little girl named Kate got into a debate about favorite princesses and best snow activities (Kate thinks snow angels, Claire is a fan of the snowman; they agreed to disagree.)

I did however drop the ball on pictures of Nick making HUGE bubbles, and Claire putting herself inside a bubble. But hey, sometimes you just need to live the moment and keep the memories in your mind :) They usually look better there anyway.

Beef and Barley Stew

2011-01-29T20:39:00.007-05:00

I am not a food blogger. But those around and close to me have of late been cooking an oddity for our family, but they look like they are doing a pretty good job, strangely enough. It is not that we can't cook, we can. We cook, we bake, we do it all, we just don't do it often. So after reading their blogs I was inspired to plan some 'real meals' for my family this coming week. We started tonight with a beef and barley stew. Barley was a new ingredient for me, I'm not sure that I cooked it properly as it was bit chewier than I expected it to be, but still good.
Not being a food blogger I have looked at several to help me cover this genre here properly. So I find that one thing they all have are pictures. So I took some, I did not stage all my ingredients as some do because well, I don't get all my ingredients out at once and I put them away as soon as I am done using them, otherwise I'd never have a 'clean' kitchen.
So here's what it looked like as a stew without the barley and then after I added the barley.

I also found in my research that they give great facts about some key ingredients. so here goes;
barley is comparable to wheat products as far as health benefits however it differs by having both soluble and insoluble fiber, while wheat only has the latter.
I used Thyme and Oregano as spices for this recipe but apparently you can use whatever you have lying around. I really like the flavor of thyme, I plan to use more of it in ALL my recipes, how do you think it would taste in pancakes?
After looking at several food blogs I also felt that there was something missing from their coverage of the food.
What was missing is the shots of the people reacting, interacting and enjoying the food. So I'm here to fill that gap.

This stew was particularly good paired with chocolate milk boxes.

After some testing it was determined that putting barley up your nose is not the best way to get more fiber into your system. It is also kind of sticky so it doesn't come out all that easily.

As a general review:
You may like it so much you feel the need to either attack it or bow before it.
Either way it was an amazing stew.

The perfect end to the meal is a homemade chewy granola bar filled with almonds, cranberries, sunflower seeds and peanut butter.

gap filled : you are welcome food blogging community.

A Note About our Uneventful Lives

2011-01-25T21:36:00.004-05:00

Other than the recent wedding and the drama that came with it, life here has been rather uneventful, I have not accomplished anything off of my list of things I want to accomplish these next two months, I have not made any interesting foods, bought any girl scout cookies or done any laundry.
With this recent cold snap keeping us housebound I have had to dig deep in my bag of tricks to find new, engaging and stimulating activities to keep us all sane.
We have begun having almost daily car washes in our kitchen

And have enjoyed the occasional Christmas gift as is straggles into our house. That's right folks, the two gifts that got the greatest reaction from my daughter this year were a pair of pink corduroy pants and a box full of empty picture frames. I'm officially giving up on buying her anything for next year.

Nick is keeping busy potty training himself, off and on. You gotta do what you gotta do I guess.

Life is good here, we wish it were warmer so we could at least go for a walk and get fresh air without our lungs getting frostbite but, hey you win some, you lose some I guess.
Keep warm out there.

My 'Amazing' Weekend

2011-01-25T21:04:00.005-05:00

So this past weekend my roommate Rachel from college got married. It was an amazing time full of friends who I haven't seen in too long and laughter and most importantly love.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ugh. I have such mixed feeling about this weekend and how it all turned out and how some people handled it but on the other hand I got to hug all over the most wonderful baby ever, spend time with girls who can make me laugh so hard I tear up and recharge a little bit.
I guess I underestimated how drained I was from just the stresses and the seclusion that typify my daily life now. I am definitely feeling more relaxed and focused going into this week. (weather that's a good thing or not, only time will tell)

My Three Kids

2011-01-17T13:47:00.008-05:00

Some toys just need a video to show just how much fun they truly are.

Dinner Revisited

2011-01-11T05:04:00.002-05:00

Remember how I said we had Sausage and Peppers with penne for dinner yesterday. Well Claire was revisited by it this morning. (read 4am)
Now everyone is up, the carpet stinks and I have the feeling it's going to be a long day.
Upside: Claire says her tummy feels better so hopefully all the explosions are over , I am getting lots of laundry done this AM and hopefully the kids will nap this after noon so I can catch some shut eye too.

From the Dinner table

2011-01-10T18:41:00.003-05:00

Tonight as we ate dinner around the table (which yes, had some laundry folded on top of it that I am 'planning' to put away sometime well... maybe tomorrow). ANYWAY, after a moment of silence Claire dropped her head to the table and in her robot voice said 'Must sleep at the dinner table'. After she sat with her head down for about 45 second I asked 'what are you doing Claire' and Nick shhh-ed me- with his little finger up to his lips and everything! Claire told me she was sleeping and we we all sat for a bit till Claire 'woke up' and began eatting as if nothing had happened. Has someone been hypnotizing my children?
Dinner was penne with sausage and peppers tonight.

Dinner?

2011-01-03T17:57:00.003-05:00

Does it make me a bad mother that my oldest just ate an entire small bag of jellybeans from possibly two Easters ago? And she hasn't eaten dinner yet... Jellybeans for dinner it is then.
How was your family dinner?

2011-01-03T12:39:00.002-05:00

"When Nick is a Girl" -Claire

2011-01-03T11:52:00.005-05:00

If I ever have another little girl I will celebrate her second birthday with a ballerina party and I'll send out invitations with little frilly tool tutus on them and I'll do a two-two party! How cute is that... why didn't I have this idea when Claire was still little? and why is Nick a boy.. would it be mean to have a two-two party for him? He won't even remember...
OK sisters I have your first born girl's second birthday completely planned... down to the thank you notes and cake.... Love you all!

Snow Day

2010-12-28T14:31:00.004-05:00

So we were snowed in this weekend. We missed going to my families or their Christmas celebration but we thoroughly enjoyed the snow. (it was the first of the year for us) Claire has been looking forward to getting out and making a snowman with daddy and since he was off this week it all worked out wonderfully.

Nick was the wildcard. We weren't sure how we would take to the snow and cold. Turns out he liked it. Well, he liked it for what he could do in it. Since he's so little they don't sell gloves with fingers so he basically had some thick socks over his hands AND he looked like that kid from that 'Christmas Story' movie who couldn't put his arms down.

SO that meant that he couldn't pick anything up and if he fell over he couldn't get back up. But with the right amount of help he was a great worker.

They both were.

Even daddy had some fun in the snow. ;)

Merry Christmas

2010-12-25T11:30:00.005-05:00

Merry Christmas!

P.S.
Sorry for these awful pictures, my camera was absconded by my 3 yr old and is now in hiding... who knows if you will ever see my kids without major pixilation. Thank you iphone.

Christmas Anthem

2010-12-22T11:55:00.003-05:00

I needed a little reminder today of why I am wrapping presents till I am out of tape, cleaning my house like my mother-in-law is moving in and baking for an army.
I needed to remember that I am not only celebrating the child-like sense of wonder and blind faith that the holidays bring. But also the arrival of a Savior. A triumphal entry and a humble beginning to the greatest story to ever unfold (and that is still unfolding). So hallelujah! Christ has come, "Unto you a Child is born, Unto you a Savior is given". (Isaiah 9:6)

I found just the pick me up and reminder in Landon Smith and The Real Matt Jones' song;

Christmas Anthem

(Amazon has it for free download HERE)(It's like God knew I needed to dance like crazy to welcome in this holiday season to my home)

Hallelujah - Hallelujah
Is the jubilant refrain
God is sending us a Savior
Peace on Earth - Good will to men

Let us also sing the praises of our God so full of love
Who on Christmas sent a Savior - sent a Savior from above

Hallelujah - Hallelujah
Is the jubilant refrain
God is sending us a Savior
Peace on Earth - Good will to men

Adventures in Gingerbread

2010-12-19T14:21:00.003-05:00

This year we are doing all the quintessential Christmas activities. We have already made ornaments, decorated the tree, baked cookies (yet to be decorated) and bought presents for everyone on our lists. That just leaves the gingerbread house... I never really made one as a kid, I mean unless graham crackers iced onto a milk carton and covered over in random cereal and a sweet assortment of candies counts.
So this was a new experience for me too. We got the kit (thank you Grandma and Grandpa Bill) and I read the directions (only 9 steps for two houses, how hard could it be), Things started out fine,

Then they got interesting,

then they got better. Claire was much better at the decorating than I thought she would be.

And even Nick got in on the action.

The houses were shaping up just great. Than I turned my back. I should have learned by now that every mothering story that has that line in it never turns out like a fairy tale.
When I returned, Nick had green icing IN his ear, and his house looked like some kind of massacre had occurred on the front lawn, and a bomb had blown the right side of the house apart. Claire was covered in icing as well, armpits to belly button (thankfully we had by then taken off her white shirt).
I think we did a pretty good job. I'm counting it a success in parenting. Possibly a one time success.

Family Dinner

2010-12-16T18:37:00.002-05:00

What's for Dinner?

Apples
Broccoli Dippers
Parmasean and Garlic Dip
Chicken Breast
(with onion, parsley, salt and pepper)

We like the Broccoli Dippers becaause A: the kids are able to help make them (well Claire at least) which increases the chance they will eat them and B: They are made for finger-food dipping! Something toddlers all over can't resist.

Tonight we discussed weather Santa likes bunnies. (We made sugar cookies today and we made some that are shaped like bunnies, Claire thinks perhaps Santa doesn't like bunnies because they aren't really 'Christmas-y' so perhaps she should eat them, since Santa ~~the bunny hater~~ obviously will not want them.)

We hope your family dinner was a good time tonight.

Salt Dough Ornaments

2010-12-16T14:46:00.001-05:00

We made ornaments for on our tree, ones that weren't collectible, ones that weren't very breakable, ones that if they didn't last to see next year we didn't really care. We made them out of salt dough. (recipe here) We mixed them up, rolled them flat and cut them out.

The recipe said you could speed the hardening process by 'baking' them at 200 degrees for about 20 min. Ours 'baked' for about 2 1/2 hours, then sat out all night and were still not really hard the whole way through the next day... I wonder what we did wrong?

Regardless of their soft middles we painted them the next day...

ok - Nick ate one. (pre-paint) I didn't think he'd like it.

He ate the whole thing.

A Tree Was in Brooklyn

2010-12-16T14:24:00.000-05:00

This past week has revolved around the tree. Decorating our own with glitter paint and buttons.

This past week also brought with it the first snow of the season. Putting me in the Christmas mood finally. Claire got really excited by the snow out her window. She was very excited to find out that it was not only outside her bedroom window but also it was outside the living room window. With the first snow came 'the birds'- hundreds of them. It was kinda crazy and then as fast as they came they moved on. I hope they are in warmer climates by now.

And to top off the week we went and got our Christmas tree. It grew in Vermont, then it came to Brooklyn and from there we brought it home to our house. Yes, this years tree is organic (who knew they existed?) It is the one Claire picked, it is slightly larger than we expected to get but... Who can say no to a girl who has 'fallen in love' with a tree?

We have only pulled the tree over once, nothing was broken, ornament or person.

The picture is just of the top 2/3, below that it isn't decorated...

The Perfect Day

2010-12-13T21:43:00.000-05:00

This morning Claire crawled into our bed at 7:30 and cuddled down in between Jim and I. She rolled over to face me and 'whispered'

"It's a perfect day mommy".

What she meant was that the sun was up, she was awake and I needed to make the best of it. (she's good for me like that) Did I mention that my perfect day started at 7:30, the latest I have been allowed to wake up in about - well - 18 months. :)

And it was a perfect day.

Jim was home on his day off, grocery shopping so there were goodies in the house, getting our Christmas tree, decorating our Christmas tree, first flurries of the season, delicious dinner with in-laws and kids to bed without even a moment of fussing.
Claire was right, today was a perfect day and I feel so very blessed to have been able to share it with her.

Gallery

2010-12-09T23:34:00.002-05:00

So one time I went to see a panopticon. It was in Pittsburgh at the museum of art. I viewed it twice actually. I really liked it. It was art, floor to ceiling of great art all collaged onto the walls of the gallery. Whoever came up with the idea was a genius. And since we celebrate genius in our house we are also going to have a bit of a gallery in our house; a panopticon of sorts. Right now we have emmassed two frames (which now DO hold some art from our "resident artists") I was going to take some pictures of them but Claire beat me to it so here is Claire introducing her great new frames:

(thanks GB, great find!)
additionally to all those garage salers our there that may read this. I am totally in the market for any frames that 'go' with these or are just ornate: sized 5x7 or larger (within reason larger). We will pay garage sale prices. Thanks for keeping your eyes out for us, we hope to fill the wall. The gallery will be open to the 'public' in January. Come on over.

Where is the Baby Jesus?

2010-12-03T16:13:00.003-05:00

Yesterday we opened and set up the nativity. Here it is when I did it.
We read the first Christmas story. Claire was concerned that the cow was going to lick the baby Jesus. And also wondered where His cake was. "Since it is his birthday, right?"

Then the Nick tried his hand at making the Nativity come to life... Surprisingly it was an action story instead of a drama like I always assumed. Then the cow took out the baby Jesus (Claire was evidently on to something).

Then we played 'what's missing'. Where Claire or mommy takes something; in this case a person or animal from the nativity and the other person has to guess 'what's missing'.
Claire was really good at the making things disappear part:

So good in fact that now Baby Jesus is now missing. I hope he's under the couch and the cow did- not in fact- "lick his hairs off".
I encourage you to read through the story again and really imagine it. I am seeing it in a new light through these kids of mine and it's amazing how many things I never noticed or given much thought to. I hope to rediscover Christ this Christmas and I pray the same for all of you.

Jesus Shines

2010-12-01T12:48:00.004-05:00

Jesus Shines night and day to show us the way.

"...And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was." Matthew 2:9b

Please continue to remember that Jesus goes before you, preparing the way and knows what there is to come. He will never take you down a road you couldn't handle.

Chicken

2010-12-01T12:29:00.004-05:00

So recently I made a chicken. It was my first whole chicken. I was pretty excited and nervous about what we would find inside it. You know if they had taken out the guts or if I would have to do it. Thankfully it's parts were in a bag, which is now in my freezer since I'm not ready to tackle that new adventure but don't want to be wasteful.

Any suggestions about what to do with them would be appreciated as I have NO CLUE what you do with whatever parts are in this little bag...

Once we got over the inital fear of the bird (and it's innards) we really enjoyed it. Claire and I helped it do the chicken dance... yes our bird was shaking it's butt right before we stuffed it full of salt, pepper, and parsley.

Then we put that bird in the crockpot, covered it in salt, pepper, basil, parsley and butter. Yes Aunt Stasi- we did put butter in that bird's armpits because everyone who knows anything (ie anyone from our house) knows that butter belongs in your armpit.

Then we cooked that bird... for like 7 hours (2 on high and the rest on low). While it cooked we called some friends to help us eat the chicken.
They came and brought the pie. :)
We think we'll try doing a duck next! Any advice from those who have done that before?

Advent

2010-12-01T11:54:00.002-05:00

This year I made my own Advent calendar. I made it out of a mini muffin tin and some magnetized scrapbook paper and stickers. I am quite fond of it. And the thing I am most fond of is the storage space it takes up, or lack of storage space; I can fit it into my pocket!

I can also use the tin for other things, baking muffins and cupcakes of course but also countdowns to vacations, birthdays and other holidays.
I even made some small magnets to put inside. Since the books I bought won't fit in the tiny cup, there will be a present magnet (sticker stuck to a business card magnet and cut out). A matching sticker will be on one gift wrapped book for the kids to open that day.
Can you tell I'm excited!?

I am hoping that doing advent this year will keep us focused on the true meaning of the holidays. Jesus' birth, God's sacrifice and our Hope.

Merry Christmas!

Better Late than Never

2010-11-26T09:05:00.002-05:00

69. family
70. my Grandma Rita and all the life lessons she taught me without even trying.
71. Knowing that it doesn't matter where you eat on thanksgiving, as long as you are with family. (a GR lesson)
72. That I am NOT doing ANY shopping today
73. Days off work
74. off switches
75. Slippers
76. ears
77. the number 6
78. health
79. that it is now acceptable to think obsessively about Christmas
80. That Claire reminds me what Christmas is about (Mommy, will there be cake at Jesus' birthday party?) (ps. mom do you use real cherries for His cake?)
81. That it's only Friday but it feels like Sunday
82. socks
83. rugs
84. my vacuum cleaner
85. Fixed computers
86. tissues
87. modern medicine

Blast from Holidays Past

2010-11-24T11:41:00.002-05:00

So I just unearthed a reminder of what the holidays are like. I was moving Christmas from the back of our only storage space to the front so that when we wanted to put up the decorations we could skip the entire days worth of work that it takes to get to the decorations and just put them up in holiday bliss.
In my rearranging I found a tote, unlabled and rather large considering our small amout of storage here. I remember putting the tote in the closet around the end of Christmas last year. In the tote that took up a lot of my storage space I found :
1 dirty baby sock (Claire's)
6 small pieces of cut up twine that used to tie something up (I'm guessing)
1 crushed and USED christmas bow
1 annoying as anything crying box out of a babydoll that Claire recieved last year.
2 duffel bags I have been searching for all year
1 life vest for and infant (still brand new)
1 empty Christmas ornament box for Claire's first year onament.
And that's it.
Why was I saving this strange assortment of mostly garbage? Why did I allocate about 1/8 of my storage space to storing it for a year? The world may never know.

Tubs to Tears

2010-11-23T18:19:00.002-05:00

47. bath time
48. a home all my own
49. family all on one continet
50. having my computer home
51. not having to talk to the police in a whole year at least about anything
52. Shoes
53. bubbles
54. graham crackers
55. movies in bed
56. dishwasher!!!
57. Forgiveness
58. Love
59. Hope
60. Packages
61. Picture Frames no one else wanted
62. hearing
63. Sight
64. the lack of mirrors in my house
65. breath (the deep relaxing kind)
66. Laughter (especially the big kind from little people)
67. tears
68. Joy

Thankful Through the Storm

2010-11-20T10:29:00.004-05:00

36. Marshmallows
37. Hot cocoa made with warm milk
38. My kids :)
39. A warm home to be in
40. Child locks on cupboards (how I wish mine would actually work all the time)
41. Kids who think cleaning is fun
42. My husband who takes such good care of me (I love you honey)
43. Flowers to brighten both my house and my day (from the husband who loves me)
44. Crayons
45. Feelings of accomplishment
46. Christmas decorations

It's a Wonderful Life I Lead

2010-11-19T17:33:00.003-05:00

We have begun the process of becoming married with children. No, even though some days our lives may seem like they are right out of the soap operas I am really meaning that we are getting responsible. You know, insurance, wills, all that grown up stuff.
So far we have spoken with the life insurance guy, and met with the come-to-your-house Dr. who takes your urine and blood. I have only tuned out during babble that I don't understand once and I passed out after they took my blood but came to rather quickly. Overall I think it's been a success so far.
However, growing up is stressful and when I get stressed I start having strange dreams. Like the night we met with the insurance guy I had a ~~dream~~ nightmare about what life would be like if I passed. Jimmy would have to take care of the kids and in my dream they didn't get up on time for daycare. Claire dressed herself in neon green and orange leggings and a pink party dress with her 'fuzzy' shoes and knee high socks with cupcakes on them (all items she has in her wardrobe, but we don't usually wear them together). He didn't know where I kept the diapers and had no clue about how to change Nick. They ate Peanut butter sandwiches or pasta for every meal and Jimmy hadn't changed the sheets in over 4 months. (I'm not sure how I knew that...) Needless to say, life was bleak.
So I think I will stick around a little while longer, until I can train Claire to cook, and dress herself, and until Nick is potty trained, and can change the sheets by himself. It's good to be reminded they still need me. (and probably always will)

Another Full Night and Day

2010-11-08T06:59:00.003-05:00

28. full nights of sleep

29. blankets

30. washing machine

31. America and it's freedoms and opportunities

32. my Dad

33. the anticipation of something good

34. Sisters (of all kinds)

35. DVR

So as I was writing this I typed 'chickens' for number 34. Making chickens a repeat, I took it off but the oddity of 'chickens' appearing twice in my list of things I am thankful for was not lost to me. Maybe we'll head over to the zoo to crow at the roosters and chickens today in appreciation for them. We were up before them this morning. I am not thankful for daylight savings.

Cows to Chickens

2010-11-05T08:02:00.004-05:00

14. cows
15. sister-in-laws
16. visits from actual sisters :)
17. Pillows
18. gas (the kind you put in your car)
19. email
20. beautiful fabric (even though I don't have a sewing machine to do anything with it)
21. my gram (who taught me that there is no shame in stock piling large quantities of fabric with no real intended purpose)
22. my Aunt Peggy
23. mail from friends
24. stamps
25. Christmas in the air
26. The Chicken Dance song (which plays on repeat at our house these days)
27. Brother-in-laws who married my sister and introduced #26 into my children's lives; Thanks Mark :P

I'm on a roll!
I really do have a lot to be thankful for today;
This morning I get to have some time to myself AND a visit from my sister AND my husband home for dinner!

That could have read; This morning I am going to the 'lady doctor' AND my sister is coming to work at my house so we don't get to play even though she's right there AND my husband probably won't be home for dinner.
But that's not as positive as I feel this morning. I am choosing to accentuate the positive, and eliminate the negative. Nauffy weather outside take your best shot, my bubble of sunshine will prevail!

Plenty to be Thankful For

2010-11-04T15:23:00.002-05:00

So, as with everything in my life, I am a little behind, or maybe I'm just way ahead. My mind has completely skipped over an entire holiday...
I am already dreaming of Christmas decorations for my house, I have begun shopping for gifts and I'm blogging about Christmas cards (which by the way netted me free Christmas cards for 'almost' all my facebook friends)(YAY!).
Forget Thanksgiving. I would I guess if I didn't have so much to be thankful for, and so many people to remind me to be thankful :)
So here goes:
1. A Jesus who loves me
2. Two beautiful and healthy kids
3. My ability to smile
4. My kids ability to make me smile
5. Hardwood flooring
6. My mom (I meant to put her near the top cause I know she appreciates it) (oops)
**Now is a good time to remind you all that this list is in no real order**
7. Love, and especially a family who always loves (no matter what)
8. books
9. The library
10. brownies in a mug with a glass of cold milk
11. money
12. Sisters
**Again not in any real order**
13. new paper items

Feeling gratitude and not expressing it-
is like wrapping a present and not giving it.

William Arthur Ward

You Get a Card.. And YOU get a Card... EVERYbody Get a CARD!

2010-11-02T15:48:00.023-05:00

This year I decided to do my Christmas cards on Shutterfly.com.
I scrolled down the page, about halfway down I had set aside 6 designs that I really liked. That's when I knew I was in trouble. My list this year is short, I am not sending to Jimmy's boss, the guy who owns the deli, or girlfriends who Jimmy's friends will probably break up with before the cards even arrive. In fact this year my list of close friends and family tops out at 40. But with this many different card options, I'll be sending a different adorable card to every person on my list!

There are all types of cards!
Some that are classic:

I really like the bright colors they used this year in lieu of the red and green that dominates everything else.

They have ones that feature you/your adorable kids really big;
Or not so big if you aren't cute or have no kids
(notice that I am not in any of these)

If you forget to order them in time,
no fear, send out Thank You cards with your pictures on them. Who doesn't love a picture of an over enthusiastic three year old ripping paper off a box like it contains Curious George himself.

And if your list is even shorter than mine they have priced their holiday gifts to make them super affordable as well as cute! Every year I make a calendar for our family so we can look back and remember just what we were doing a year ago or how little the kids were 'just one year ago'. They have different designs this year, more childlike and like the cards, full of bright colors and great designs.

Oh heck forget the 40 people I love the most, this year I'll be sending a different card to each of my facebook friends. Nevermind that I don't know where half of them live anymore; my kids look so cute on these cards I need to brag to everyone I know!

Trick or Treat

2010-10-29T20:31:00.004-05:00

When I was a kid we went trick or treating a few times. I don't think we went every year. Maybe we did and I just don't remember but a few times really stick out in my mind. Like the time we went to knock on a door and our hand went right on thru because there was no glass or screen in the door. Or getting all dressed up for the parade and getting a fifty cent coin for making it to the end. Or... ok really those are my only trick or treat memories. (good to know if we miss a few years it doesn't matter cause they won't remember anyway)
Anyway, things have changed. now you have to have a cool outfit and all the right accessories. The most absurd accessory is the trick or treat bag or bucket. You can get them in all kinds of shapes and sizes now with the option to personalize or not. But really all they need is a shopping bag (like the plastic grocery store kind you have a million of) or a pillow case if you are feeling especially earth friendly.
But look how cute these are...

Who could deny their perfect little child of such joy? They need to carry around a bag that is, lets face it, as adorable as they are.

So tonight I made Nick one.

It came out pretty cute. (if I do say so myself) And I now feel bad for all those little kids who will be carrying around dirty old pillowcases or disposable plastic shopping bags.
Amazing how having your own kids changes your views on a lot of things.

My Melodious Mess

2010-10-28T18:59:00.002-05:00

I meant to clean my kitchen I honestly did....
So I called my mom; to have her yell at me to do it (I remember from when I was younger that she's so good at that)
She didn't answer.
I tried my sisters; to have them tell me that I just couldn't live this way any longer, it was a disgrace.
They didn't answer their phones.
So I went for a walk with my kids before the sun set.
Then I was going to clean the kitchen, honestly.
But then I ended up cleaning the living room.
I was cleaning the living room; honest.
Then somehow I was doing the chicken dance with Claire and Nick.
They are quite good at it actually. Nick's little singing birdies are SOOO CUTE!

So instead of cleaning my kitchen I was making birdies sing and flap their wings and shake their butts!

Clap-Clap-Clap-Clap

Join Us For Dinner

2010-10-27T17:32:00.002-05:00

Our Lives of late have been very 'ordinary'. Not that they weren't ordinary before, just that now we are faced with extra ordinary days. We have nothing to blog about. (that's not true) We have not blogged anything of note for quite some time. (that IS true)
So, we are going to blog about the 'ordinary'.

Dinner.

Almost every family we know has dinner. There are big campaigns across the country pushing family dinner. Reminding us just how important family dinner is. It is so powerful to eat as a family that it has been found in studies to reduce obesity, drug use, teen and unplanned pregnancies and eating disorders. It also boosts self-esteem and school grades.

So mix up something good tonight and join us for dinner. As a family.

UGH!

2010-10-26T09:18:00.003-05:00

---SIGH----
the biggest, longest, most air ever released at one time;
--SIGH--
an attempt to release some of the tension built up;
-SIGH-
a last ditch effort to pull it all together and move forward
SIGH
the kiss of death to my day.

A Great Fall Day

2010-10-18T19:05:00.004-05:00

Today started a bit stressfully with Jury Duty. That meant that I had to empty my purse. As you can pretty much deduce from reading this blog I don't get out much (read: at all). So going out sans kids meant that I had to dig out a real bag as opposed to my diaper bag; which I take everywhere much to the shock of my mother-in-law who offered me a handbag to borrow for my sister's wedding. I told her I'd just have the diaper bag. Her look was like ice water after the hot tub... it's been a while since diaper bags for her.
ANYWAY
I had to empty out my purse (yes I own about one that is presentable). This is the contents. It made me giggle so I took a picture for you so you could giggle too.

It includes some Swedish fish that were stuck to the lining (that are from the Lamaze class Jim and I took together for Nick), Nick's hospital band (how long were those fish in there?), kids sunscreen and of course a measuring tape (that made me feel close to my mom) and some other randomness.
After all that work of putting away (mostly throwing away) the contents of my purse. I re-packed it for jury duty. An ipad, iphone, summer reading book, and birth certificates for both of our kids.
Jim and I drove in together this morning which was nice.
It took me all of 20 min to get out of jury duty (and probably 10 of those were waiting at security)
I came home to my sweeties and then Jimmy surprised us by taking a half day!
We made spaghetti squash casserole! YUMMY! So good and even better the next day as left overs.

A Sense of Accomplishment

2010-10-18T13:01:00.004-05:00

I feel the need to share what I did today.
I outfitted my kids for winter. (both of them)
I racked up a total of $110 and paid $32!
(that's $78 saved!)
I get warm fuzzies and the kids stay warm but hopefully not fuzzy. :)

Nick at New Heights

2010-10-14T10:33:00.006-05:00

As you all know, Nick likes to climb on things. Anything really. Now he has discovered steps. Like using one thing to help him get onto something higher; easier and with more consistency. He likes this Fisher Price chair, you know the yellow ones; cause it's light, and sturdy. He's into things I never thought he would be into. And he loves, loves, LOVES the silverware drawer, and the computer. He figured out the other day how to take the keys off the keyboard. (thankfully he only takes off the 'option' and 'control' keys and I have two) I feel the need to document it because I know no one will believe me when I tell them about his problem solving skills or his strength and agility. So take a look yourself.
(Insert Video of Nick carrying chair out of my room where I hide it, across the living room and into the kitchen to the silverware drawer where he then navigates it around to figure out how to get into the drawer while one the chair. Blogger apparently deems this unacceptable for viewing and will not load it)

(BOO)

What can I do? does the chair have to go? He likes it so much I wish it wasn't so potentially dangerous.

Date Night

2010-10-13T19:33:00.004-05:00

The kids are asleep.
it's only 8:30!!!
they put themselves to sleep.
did I mention; it's only 8:30!!!
The house is clean.
So far a great date night.
If only my date were here :(
Alas, he is food shopping.
Maybe he'll bring home something yummy to eat. :)
Date night is great.

How Long till this Feels like Family?

2010-10-08T10:54:00.009-05:00

This past weekend my littlest sister got married. To a guy she adores more than anything I have ever seen her adore, (perhaps even more than sharpie markers and ductape). It was a magical day, watching them make that commitment to one another and more interestingly and impressive, watching them navigate the union of their two families for one day, bringing together two visions (or more) of the way the day should go; and they did it with grace. Bravo! Ami and Mark, Bravo!

It got my wheels turning, about family, extended family, pseudofamily and my own family. It was so nice to see my family. To spend time with them and remember that I am loved unconditionally, something I forget a lot these days. It was good to get hugs, kisses, cuddles and even the jabs were welcomed.
In laws aren't like that. If there's one thing about marriage that I have found it's that even though your 'new' family likes you, accepts you, welcomes you, they'll never replace or replicate your 'real' family. Their hugs will never make you melt as much as the ones your dad gives you, their jabs will always make you think twice, and their kisses will always feel foreign. At least this is what my limited observations have made me conclude. Perhaps as time lapses the lines will blur, perhaps my own family is so close they defy the norm, perhaps I am just having an especially melancholy day. But this weekend made me think, When will this start to feel like family? and Why is Christmas so far away?

Go Ahead. Be Amazed.

2010-09-28T11:34:00.003-05:00

I know I am.
This weekend my baby sister is getting married. It's hard to believe, and mostly it hasn't set in yet, until I see her in that amazing dress again. (I cried the first time) But I told her a long time back that I would take care of the flower girl's headpieces, she wanted flowers in their hair in the same color as the bridesmaid dresses. Good thing DB dresses are made for women who are seven feet tall we all had extra fabric that was cut off our dresses. That's what I used. Then I cut it down, took a flame to it (yes I burned myself on the first attempt). But out of the ashes rose these beauties!

I am impressed myself, they came out better than I thought they would. I can't wait to see the girls with them on. and I can't wait to see Ami get married and I can't wait to hug my mommy and daddy. Mostly I can't wait for this weekend!

Apple Picking

2010-09-18T21:25:00.003-05:00

We went apple picking with Grandma and Grandpa Bill today. It was the first time picking anything for our little family. We drove and drove and drove some more but in the end it was all worth it to spend some time together, without phones ringing or places to be later. I can honestly say this was the most relaxed we all have been lately.

Nick loved being able to run around wherever he pleased. And surprisingly he did not try to climb any of the trees.

Claire also enjoyed the freedoms of the 'country' and the many apples, I think in total today she ate about 4 apples herself.

Good times were had by all.

We Got Trouble

2010-09-17T16:39:00.004-05:00

Right here in New York City.
We are in some serious trouble. We are in need of some cement shoes or something. Today Nick expanded his horizons. Vertically.
I walked into Claire's room today only to find Nick standing on top of the dresser! Yes, the really tall, really beautiful one that GB made for her. Yup. and you know what he did next? He looked at me; all sweet with those baby blues and pointed up to Claire's mobile; that hangs above her bed and says 'budda fly' just like that. He speaks, he climbs, and he aspires to master door knobs in the very near future. We are in some serious trouble.

Good Idea, Bad Idea

2010-09-17T11:26:00.001-05:00

Today we played with paint during nap time. "On the floor!?" That was my soon to be three year old's reaction when I suggested it. She's too clean for her own good. She had fun, a change of scenery combined with some new paints and larger work area were a good idea.

A bad idea is for mommy to get distracted by a phone call from the Aunt and chat away the time she should be doing dishes while talking to her budding artist. Another bad idea is for mommy to continue to chat once little brother gets up from nap. Worst idea ever; leaving the room where muffin tin full of paint and budding artist are after little brother gets up from nap to continue to chat. Do you see the path of bad ideas?

We Just Got a Letter

2010-09-16T11:36:00.003-05:00

We got our first letter from our letter writing activity today.
The other week Claire checked the mail and was abnormally upset that none of it was for her. I tried to convince her that some of the unsolicited Capital One advertisements were for her but she wasn't buying it. Unfortunately the only letter in the alphabet she recognizes with any consistency is also the first letter in her name.
So I tenderly explained that you have to 'send a letter to get a letter'. She immediately had in mind who she could write a letter to and who 'might' send her one back.
So we set to the task. She dictated to me what she wanted to write. The first one was good, a bit abstract but good. And as they went on they got more bizarre and abstract. (we sent 4 to increase our odds of receiving one back). I believe the last thing on the last letter was something about Uncle Mark picking up sticks to feed to the squirrels.

So she was excited to get a letter from Grandma and Grandpa Bill today in the mail. We see them pretty often lately so there wasn't much in the ways of news but she was thrilled to get a letter. Tomorrow perhaps we will write back.
I forgot to take pictures of the first letters (and I regret it. If you got a letter and still have it could you take a pic and send it to me? thanks). I think if we continue to pen pal with everyone I will compile an album of her letters.

Shopping and The Seal

2010-09-15T07:48:00.004-05:00

Yesterday we played 'cash' (as Claire likes to call it). I 'shop' from the food box and she rings me up at her register (which yes, it also doubles as the top to her play stove). We could do this for hours and yesterday we did. Everything at Claire's Grocery costs $3, and some of it is 'ganic' (organic) and some of it is on sale! but even the sale items are $3. And a bag of groceries will set you back... you guessed it $3.

Even Nick got into the fun of ringing me up.
I love these kids! I will miss Claire so much when she heads to school next year.

In other news; Nick has the croup (again). Last night I was getting ready to hit the hay and I heard it; the seal that lives inside my son. We took a walk around the block in the night air and some steroids and tossed and turned and fussed all night. Today we are going to ride it out and see how tonight goes before we rush to the Dr. Please pray for him as the main problem is the fear factor for him. He gets scared and then cries and that makes it worse. poor guy. Also if you know of any ways to sleep without actually sleeping I would pay top dollar. (that means $3 of course) :)

Ah the Joy!

2010-09-09T18:26:00.003-05:00

I want a cookie
If you pick up all the animals and put them in their box, then you may have a cookie
Nick made that animal mess
I know, but I am asking YOU to pick it up please. then you may have a cookie
Well I'm asking YOU to go fishing. then you may get a fish.

Do you Know?

2010-09-07T10:45:00.004-05:00

What side of the gorilla is the hairiest?
A: The outside
What sound does a hippo make?
A: An evil laughing sound

Additional useless facts :
If facebook were a country, it would be the 3rd most populous country IN THE WORLD just below China and India!

Fun with Fingers

2010-09-01T16:31:00.004-05:00

Napped in the car today on the way to the craft store, (more to come from that trip later on) so no real napping progress made today but it did mean that Nick was able to join us for some quality time; fingerpainting! Nick didn't like the texture and Claire wasn't too interested.. I think given the time I would have fingerpainted for hours, I forgot just how fun it feels between your fingers. We made our own fingerpaint out of cornstarch and water and food coloring. what it lacked in the actual coloring part of the paint it more than made up for in the texture. You should give it a try yourself. And remember that you are never too old to fingerpaint!

Additionally I took on a project all my own. A bedtime routine chart. I saw one online somewhere. (if it's your idea, sorry I can't credit you 'cause I don't remember who you are. but I like it) The check marks are magnetic and you can stick them on after you complete a task. I plan to use it later on for chores as Claire gets older.

In other news:

Aunt Stasi is back! We think she might like us :)
She taught us this great raspberry thing... I would like to thank her from the bottom of my slimy arm...

Another Day Another Adventure

2010-08-31T12:32:00.004-05:00

Another 'successful' napping experience. (Although I can't figure that it's any kind of comfortable)

And thumbprint bugs. :)

Begin with the Basics

2010-08-30T12:49:00.002-05:00

We recently began "sleep training" Nick, I remember how hard it was to do this with Claire and have put it off as long as I could without feeling like I was not doing for Nick what I had done for Claire. I think it's important for children to learn to put themselves to sleep and the earlier the better because they aren't forming bad sleep habits.
*jumps of soapbox*
But it's breaking my heart all over again to hear him cry, to be right there and have to restrain myself from running to him and scooping him up. I know in the long run, and in the grand scheme of things it's only for a short time and it will benefit him and me but... ooo he breaks my heart. It's just a daily reminder of how much I love him.
On a happier note,
I am taking the opportunity that this new napping schedule has offered us to spend more quality time with Claire. We are starting with the most basic, and fun mother/daughter 'crafts'; fruit loop necklaces.

A Cooperative Tale

2010-08-30T08:01:00.002-05:00

Yesterday I did my first ever shift at the food coop. The food coop is a grocery store, where I work. In exchange for being able to shop there at discounted prices. It's a pretty good deal. I worked in the childcare room, a nursery of sorts for those who are working or shopping and don't want to/can't have their kids in tow. Nothing to note as of yet but there are so many possibilities for great stories out of this new adventure. (which Claire drew in big red scribbles then told me "This is our adventure mommy") What I loved about last night was the way they use the intercom. It's like if you were in the grocery store and everyone there had access to the intercom. Here are some of the best ones of the night: (but not all - by far)

I can now help the lady who wanted to know about the vitamins if she could meet me by the sweet ice cream treats. Thank you.

Can anyone tell me if we have any more watermelons? (second person's reply) No more watermellons today hopefully we'll get some more tomorrow.

Can anyone tell me what isle the popcorn is in? (second person's reply) Isle 2 is the bulk popcorn for --- cents a lb. and in isle 4 is the prepackaged microwave popcorn - if you want that. Hope that helps.

It's so much fun! I can't wait to go back. Unfortunately we only work once a month for 2.7 hrs. I see lots of grocery shopping in our future, just because it's such an adventure every time now :)